Holiday Brunch from The Seasonal Plate

A winter wonderland adds the perfect setting for a cozy brunch menu from The Seasonal Plate. I was quite taken with the lacy designs on the snow covered boughs.

 Faith makes all things possible.
Hope makes all things work.
Love makes all things beautiful.
May you have all three 
for this Christmas and the New Year.

Holiday Brunch 

Overnight Bacon Breakfast Pie
Cook's notes: This savory, flavorful dish can be made the day before, refrigerated overnight and baked the next day. The recipe makes one nine-inch pie but ingredients can easily be doubled to make two pies. Serve the breakfast pie with a mixed green or fruit salad and add a glass of bubbly Prosecco or a Mimosa.
Recipe adapted from BHG Brunch and Breakfast 2015 and serves 6.

Ingredients:

• 8 slices of bacon
• 1/2 cup panko seasoned breadcrumbs
• 1/3 cup sweet onions, diced
• ¼ -1/3 cup mini sweet red peppers, diced
• 5 large eggs
• 1-1/2 cup grated Swiss or Cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup cottage cheese
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1 tsp. Herbes de Provence
• 1 tsp. parsley flakes
• optional 2 drops Sriracha sauce
• 3 cups frozen shredded hash browns potatoes, thawed

Directions:

• Lightly grease a 9-inch pie pan and set aside.
• In a skillet fry bacon until crisp. Add onions and peppers in the last few minutes of frying time and sauté them. Drain onions, peppers and bacon on a paper towel. Crumble bacon and set aside with peppers and onions.
• Drain grease reserving 1 TB. bacon drippings. Stir in breadcrumbs and brown. If using unseasoned breadcrumbs add in 1/4 tsp. Herbes de Provence. Set aside in a small bowl, cover and chill until needed for baking.
• In a medium bowl whisk eggs until foamy. Stir in crumbled bacon with diced onions and peppers, Swiss or Cheddar cheese, cottage cheese, milk, spices, salt and pepper. Whisk to combine all ingredients. Fold in shredded potatoes. Pour ingredients into prepared pie pan. Cover and chill 2 to 24 hours.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Let pie sit for 20 minutes before baking. Sprinkle pie with breadcrumb mixture. Bake, uncovered about 35 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cut in wedges to serve. 

Roasted Beets with Citrus Fruits and Honey Clementine Vinaigrette
Cook’s Notes: A unique salad combination that’s a perfect blend of sweet and savory. It’s sure to be a hit with your guests for this holiday season. Tangerines or clementines can be substituted for orange slices. Butternut squash can be substituted for beets but it will require less roasting time. Recipe adapted from snixykitchen.com and serves four. If serving more than four double the vinaigrette ingredients. The vinaigrette should be made a few hours in advance for flavors to meld.

Salad Ingredients:

• 6 small red beets, quartered or cubed or 2 cups butternut squash, cubed 
• 2 TB. olive oil or Blood Orange Olive oil 
• 2 TB. balsamic vinegar, Cranberry Pear White Balsamic or Pomegranate Quince Balsamic Vinegar 
• 4-5 cups mixed greens
• 2 blood oranges, peel removed and sliced into rounds or 2 valencia oranges, peel removed and thinly sliced into rounds
• 1 ruby red grapefruit, peel removed and thinly sliced into rounds
• 1 fennel bulb, shaved
• 3 TB. pistachios, coarsely chopped or pepitas

Honey Clementine Vinaigrette Ingredients:

• Juice of three clementines to equal 1/3 cup or substitute with fresh orange juice 
• 6 TB. extra-virgin olive oil or Blood Orange Olive Oil 
• 2 TB. honey (add more to taste)
• 3 tsp. white balsamic vinegar, Cranberry Pear White Balsamic or Pomegranate Quince Balsamic
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. 
• Toss the beets in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. Place the beets on baking sheet and drizzle with 2 TB. balsamic vinegar. Roast for about 35 minutes, or until tender when pierced with a fork. Let cool.
• Layer together the mixed greens, beets, orange sections, grapefruit slices and shaved fennel. Sprinkle pistachios on top.
• Combine vinaigrette ingredients in a blender. Drizzle over the salad.